Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani could be the best player ever to come to MLB from Japan. In addition to racking up 624 strikeouts and posting a 2.52 ERA along with a 1.08 WHIP in 543 innings over the last five seasons with th...

The Angels still plan to keep Ohtani in the major leagues to begin the season despite the rookie's poor results in spring training, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. "Pitching wise, absent a couple pitches each outing completely getting away from him, losing grip or feel, [Ohtani has] been around the strike zone with the majority of his pitches," general manager Billy Eppler said Saturday. "We look at walk rate and strike throwing and the ability to get hitters to swing and miss. As we look at those things, those are the foundation of our evaluative methodologies, and those things are in place."

Ohtani gave up seven runs and six hits, including two home runs, and was lifted in the second inning of Friday's spring training game against Colorado. Ohtani is not assured of making the 25-man roster, general manager Billy Eppler told Los Angeles Times. "It's too early to make a judgment right now," he said.

Ohtani (ankle, elbow) will not only be available to pinch hit on days where he is not pitching or starting at DH, but he will be available as a pinch runner as well, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ohtani is arguably the top player in the world not in MLB. The Japanese star not only throws 102 mph and had a 1.86 ERA last season, but also hit 22 home runs with a 1.004 OPS as a DH for the Nippon Ham Fighters. Ohtani appeared to be all but set to make his move to MLB following the 2017 season, but changes in the new in the new collective-bargaining agreement that restrict MLB teams' spending on international free agents under age 25 may push his arrival back as far as 2020.

2015

Ohtani made headlines as a two-way player, Japan's first since the '60s, as a rookie in 2013. He made even more headlines as a sophomore in 2014 by comprehensively improving both sides of his game. Ohtani regularly hit 100 mph on the radar gun, and went 11-4 with a 2.61 over 155.1 innings, striking out 179 while walking 57. At the plate, Ohtani slashed .274/.314/.444 over 234 plate appearances, hitting 17 doubles and 10 home runs. Ohtani's future is pretty clearly on the mound at this point, but he's a tantalizing talent in either role. He's a keeper prospect to monitor.